Chinese double-Olympics volunteer serves as first torchbearer as flame arrives in Italy

Chinese double-Olympics volunteer Zhang Wenquan holds a torch as the flame arrives in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/Jiang Qiming)

(ECNS) -- Chinese double-Olympics volunteer Zhang Wenquan, who served at the Beijing 2008 and Beijing 2022 Games, became the first torchbearer as the 2026 Winter Olympics flame arrived in Milan on Thursday.

According to the Milan-Cortina Organizing Committee, the Olympic torch relay runs from Dec. 6, 2025, to Feb. 6, 2026, covering a total distance of about 12,000 kilometers. The route passes through all 20 regions and 110 provinces of Italy, visiting more than 300 cities and towns.

The flame will ultimately arrive at San Siro Stadium on Friday, where the Games' opening ceremony will be held, before the cauldron is lit under the Arch of Peace.

(By Gong Weiwei)